I just read through this whole thread. You did some great work under the hood there. All around great car! I am interested in that lift. Can you share some details about it? Make, Model, do you like it?
Cley
Cley
1969 Dart Pro touring daily driver **Crashed**
- Thread starter purplehazenils
- Start date
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purplehazenils
Well-Known Member
Yes I got them on, they fit perfect. No rubbing and alot of space with 1 degree camber in the front.
Unfortunately I have given up and parked the car, once I got the car running it stated chronically overheating, have tried more or less everything to fix it at this stage.
purplehazenils
Well-Known Member
Sorry I dont have the details on it, living abroad at the moment. But the lift is great, it has been able to lift all the cars weve ever tried although the volvo on the previous page was a bit sketchy due to few points to jack it up on.
At the end of the day it it a single pillar lift so you have to be a bit careful. I usually put some weight in the boot of the dart when lifting it, but overall it has been great.
Have you tried, or you should try-when you get back to working on this great looking car- Going back to a mechanical fan, with a shroud, and also with a clutch. Make sure all gaps are sealed around the radiator so all air getting into the engine compartment needs to go through the radiator. Plug any unused holes in the radiator support.
You've replaced a few freeze plugs. Have you given the engine a good flushing out? Mine was loaded with scale and casting sand.
If you still have issues, it is a pro-touring car, put some hood vents on either side, about in line with the pulleys. Air moving up and over the car will draw more air through the radiator and out of the engine compartment.
You've replaced a few freeze plugs. Have you given the engine a good flushing out? Mine was loaded with scale and casting sand.
If you still have issues, it is a pro-touring car, put some hood vents on either side, about in line with the pulleys. Air moving up and over the car will draw more air through the radiator and out of the engine compartment.
purplehazenils
Well-Known Member
I tried going back to the original fan with original radiator, sealed all the gaps, flushed the engine with two different flushes and a ton of other stuff. There is a thread about it here.
The impossible to solve overheating problem
The way its overheating almost seems like a blown head gasket, but I have checked the coolant for Co2, its not smoking and so on. So the only thing I can think of is a blocked coolant passage or something weird like that.
mygasser
Well-Known Member
Have you tried driving it with the hood removed or at least raised a couple of inches at the rear?
Oh, and the obvious one (that I missed once) have you checked the 'actual' engine temperature with an infra red probe or suchlike to confirm the gauge isn't just reading high?
Neil.
Oh, and the obvious one (that I missed once) have you checked the 'actual' engine temperature with an infra red probe or suchlike to confirm the gauge isn't just reading high?
Neil.
purplehazenils
Well-Known Member
Yeah I used and IR gun to check, the gauge was unfortunately telling the truth!
The hood trick I have not tried, also how might raising the rear help against overheating?
mygasser
Well-Known Member
it lets the heat out of the engine bay, simple as that. you'll notice it most if driving on a cold morning and the mist clears from the screen very quickly.
purplehazenils
Well-Known Member
So after many years it’s finally time to resurrect this project and give an update on what has happened.
In 2018 after putting the car back together it chronically overheated, I tried everything and eventually gave up and let it sit.
In 2020 a friend of a family members friend was given the car to try and solve the problem. The guy was apparently a mechanical genius and “could fix anything”. He removed the engine, pressurized the block, found a blockage in a coolant channel and a crack which was welded, and so the overheating issue was seemingly solved.
I collected the car and drove it home but it came back with the following issues:
-sticky throttle (details to follow)
-severely drained transmission oil, nothing on dip stick
-brake booster moved out with spacers so much that brake power was reduced
-cooling fan moved back from radiator reducing its effectiveness
-engine leaking considerably more oil than before
Apart from the sticky throttle I noticed the other issues on the way home but I figured the main problem was solved and the rest I could fix myself.
The following day was when disaster struck, I had filled the transmission and was test driving.
In an elongated roundabout I gave the car a full throttle blip to see how the throttle response was and the throttle stuck at full. I slammed on the brakes (didn’t help much) and immediately had to swerve to miss a car further ahead, to do this I took a tour over two very high curbs before finally coming to a stop.
It all happened in a couple of seconds so there was no time to reach down and turn the ignition off and just like that every single thing and more done in this build thread was destroyed completely. At the time the car was insured in my dads name with third party insurance, this means there was no money paid out to repair the car. The silver lining was that thankfully nobody was hurt.
I went forth and back about selling the car for a long time but finally decided that if I let it go, I would probably regret it a lot, it is my first car after all.
So, the time as come to fix it, I have been out of collage for four years now meaning I have a more flexible budget hence the change of title from:
1969 Dart budget Pro touring-Daily driver
to
1969 Dart Pro touring daily driver **Crashed**
As for the result of the crash I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves, more to follow.
In 2018 after putting the car back together it chronically overheated, I tried everything and eventually gave up and let it sit.
In 2020 a friend of a family members friend was given the car to try and solve the problem. The guy was apparently a mechanical genius and “could fix anything”. He removed the engine, pressurized the block, found a blockage in a coolant channel and a crack which was welded, and so the overheating issue was seemingly solved.
I collected the car and drove it home but it came back with the following issues:
-sticky throttle (details to follow)
-severely drained transmission oil, nothing on dip stick
-brake booster moved out with spacers so much that brake power was reduced
-cooling fan moved back from radiator reducing its effectiveness
-engine leaking considerably more oil than before
Apart from the sticky throttle I noticed the other issues on the way home but I figured the main problem was solved and the rest I could fix myself.
The following day was when disaster struck, I had filled the transmission and was test driving.
In an elongated roundabout I gave the car a full throttle blip to see how the throttle response was and the throttle stuck at full. I slammed on the brakes (didn’t help much) and immediately had to swerve to miss a car further ahead, to do this I took a tour over two very high curbs before finally coming to a stop.
It all happened in a couple of seconds so there was no time to reach down and turn the ignition off and just like that every single thing and more done in this build thread was destroyed completely. At the time the car was insured in my dads name with third party insurance, this means there was no money paid out to repair the car. The silver lining was that thankfully nobody was hurt.
I went forth and back about selling the car for a long time but finally decided that if I let it go, I would probably regret it a lot, it is my first car after all.
So, the time as come to fix it, I have been out of collage for four years now meaning I have a more flexible budget hence the change of title from:
1969 Dart budget Pro touring-Daily driver
to
1969 Dart Pro touring daily driver **Crashed**
As for the result of the crash I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves, more to follow.
Oh man that's painful to look at. Really fortunate that no one was seriously injured. Good luck with the resurrection, and keep us posted on the progress.
Wvbuzzmaster
Well-Known Member
That sucks. Glad no one was hurt. Seeing how far back the front wheels are now says just how hard you hit those curbs. Hopefully you can find all the parts you need and a frame rack to get the car straightened back out.
I. Have a 70 Dart with a factory front sway bar and upgrades very close to yours. I am considering a rear sway bar, I'm not sure what you mean that the Addco rear bar on your car is too big ??
Sorry to read. Why is it that some car guys feel the need to "brag/boast/lie"? Clearly the guy that worked on your car should be held liable and smacked like a *****.
Good luck.
Good luck.
purplehazenils
Well-Known Member
Thank you. Yes all things considered a sticky throttle at the wrong time could do a lot of harm.
The wheel going back has done most of the damage to the car itself. Thanks.
The thick rear bar was too stiff for the thin factory bar on the front. The car rolled more in the front than in rear. Car felt weird and the overall cornering grip was probably reduced.
Agreed and thanks. Unfortunately nothing could be done about the mechanic, frustratingly the of friend of family member situation made it even more tricky.
Man that makes it worse. Sorry to read, that's a tough situation. He should feel shame for that, forever.
All the best working thru it. If I had dart stuff I would help you out, unfortunately I've mostly cuda stuff.
All the best working thru it. If I had dart stuff I would help you out, unfortunately I've mostly cuda stuff.
purplehazenils
Well-Known Member
Damage report:
A year ago I had a friend (retired crash repair guy) look at the car and take some measurements. He found that the car was not bent out of shape that badly, about 5mm out of tolerance, the passenger side needs to be pulled down if I remember correctly.
The car did not hit a wall and totally buckle or bend, as it travelled over two high curbs most of the energy went into tearing the front suspension apart. The passenger side of the car is the worst, the wheel moved way back damaging the inner fender and bucking the passenger footwell a lot.
What’s funny is that all of the work done to stiffen the front end, control arms, k-member, strut rods, boxed inner fenders, J-bars etc. probably helped keep the car from bending more. There are no typical cracks around the a-pillars which is often seen on crashed cars.
Damage to front suspension:
- pretty much everything scrapped
- the only parts I’m hoping to keep is the steering column, centre link and spindles
Damage to car:
- passenger side footwell from wheel going back (difficult to see in photos)
- passenger side inner fender
- upper control arm mounts
Body panels:
- right fender is toast (left fender can be salvaged)
- bumper
Brakes:
- All the lines up need to be redone, hope to reuse the discs
Wheels:
- the two rear rims appear to be ok, will have to investigate if any can be reused
Now that most of the damage has been covered the next post should be the beginning of the repairs.
A year ago I had a friend (retired crash repair guy) look at the car and take some measurements. He found that the car was not bent out of shape that badly, about 5mm out of tolerance, the passenger side needs to be pulled down if I remember correctly.
The car did not hit a wall and totally buckle or bend, as it travelled over two high curbs most of the energy went into tearing the front suspension apart. The passenger side of the car is the worst, the wheel moved way back damaging the inner fender and bucking the passenger footwell a lot.
What’s funny is that all of the work done to stiffen the front end, control arms, k-member, strut rods, boxed inner fenders, J-bars etc. probably helped keep the car from bending more. There are no typical cracks around the a-pillars which is often seen on crashed cars.
Damage to front suspension:
- pretty much everything scrapped
- the only parts I’m hoping to keep is the steering column, centre link and spindles
Damage to car:
- passenger side footwell from wheel going back (difficult to see in photos)
- passenger side inner fender
- upper control arm mounts
Body panels:
- right fender is toast (left fender can be salvaged)
- bumper
Brakes:
- All the lines up need to be redone, hope to reuse the discs
Wheels:
- the two rear rims appear to be ok, will have to investigate if any can be reused
Now that most of the damage has been covered the next post should be the beginning of the repairs.
purplehazenils
Well-Known Member
Thank you! I appreciate it.
I have been sourcing a few parts over the last year so most of the major components are finally on hand.
purplehazenils
Well-Known Member
The first parts I got ahold of was a new k-member and lower control arms, they were super rusty but cleaned up well with sandblasting. The next step was weld over all the seams and box some areas off. I did the exact same thing with the old k-member on page 2 so there is no need to go into much detail.
When I went to test install this today I realized that the passenger side motor mount is different but more importantly the idler arm mount is not the same. I think the new one is from 67 which has a different idler arm, so this will need some modification..
Ill have to come up with some sort of jig and asked for advice on the suspension section:
Modification of K-member idler arm mount advice
When I went to test install this today I realized that the passenger side motor mount is different but more importantly the idler arm mount is not the same. I think the new one is from 67 which has a different idler arm, so this will need some modification..
Ill have to come up with some sort of jig and asked for advice on the suspension section:
Modification of K-member idler arm mount advice
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Wvbuzzmaster
Well-Known Member
Can you chop the old idler arm bracket off your old K frame and get it aligned and welded to the new k frame? I’m pretty sure you don’t want to go to the 67 idler arm as you lose handling stability.
I'm awful sorry about your pretty Dart. But the good news is it will live again I see! I wish you well with it!
purplehazenils
Well-Known Member
Yes this has now been done, the 67 is probably quite a lot more flimsy than the later ones.
Thanks you! It will be a slow repair but eventually it will be back on the road.
purplehazenils
Well-Known Member
To move the idler arm mount I built a jig on the old k member very similar to what someone else on this forum had done before. But when it was transferred something was definitely wrong, the idler arm mount sat way too high on the new k member, it is tacked on in the last photo and the difference in height is very obvious.
The height of idler arm and pitman effect whether the centre link is level, this is quite an important so it was clear that the jig was a fail.
I don't know why it did not work or why it was so off, the one explanation reasonable is that the old k member was more warped than expected from the crash and that the jig multiplied this difference. In other words, a small difference on the left is a big difference on the right. It could also be down to the poor tolerances from factory, or a combination of all things.
Because I rewelded the old k member so carefully and added gussets everywhere it was a lot of effort to remove the mount, I had to cut a whole leg from the member but eventually it came free.
The height of idler arm and pitman effect whether the centre link is level, this is quite an important so it was clear that the jig was a fail.
I don't know why it did not work or why it was so off, the one explanation reasonable is that the old k member was more warped than expected from the crash and that the jig multiplied this difference. In other words, a small difference on the left is a big difference on the right. It could also be down to the poor tolerances from factory, or a combination of all things.
Because I rewelded the old k member so carefully and added gussets everywhere it was a lot of effort to remove the mount, I had to cut a whole leg from the member but eventually it came free.
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purplehazenils
Well-Known Member
So the 67 K member idler mount issue was a surprise that delayed things and took much longer than expected. In the end the jig was scrapped and I got help from my dads friend who is very experienced and has built many cars.
We spent a lot of time measuring and making small adjustments in order to locate where the idler mount should be. The idea was to mirror the position and motion of the pitman arm on the other side of the k member. We also learned that the factory tolerances are not good! We are pretty confident it is in the right place and who knows it could be located better than it is from factory.
We spent a lot of time measuring and making small adjustments in order to locate where the idler mount should be. The idea was to mirror the position and motion of the pitman arm on the other side of the k member. We also learned that the factory tolerances are not good! We are pretty confident it is in the right place and who knows it could be located better than it is from factory.
purplehazenils
Well-Known Member
With the k member done I finally got to start assembling things. I have ordered most parts from Peter Bergman, some parts got held up with shipping but the most important stuff to get the wheels on the car has arrived:
-SPC adjustable upper control arms (replacing stock ones with Moog offset bushings)
-Ridetech/Fox single adjustable front shocks (replacing Hotchkis non adjustable)
-Bergmans lower control arm shaft + delrin bushing (replacing PST polygraphite)
-Bergmans tie rods (replacing QA1)
-Bergmans pitman arm and idler arm (replacing stock)
-An oil cooler, hose, pump bracket and pulley also arrived
For the lower control arms I cut the bump stops down as this needed to be done last time and when installing the pitman arm I noticed that Peter Bergmans one has bearings which I thought was pretty cool.
With this done I installed the k member and control arms.
It is good to see something other than destroyed parts or nothing underneath the front of the car, it is slowly coming back to life.
-SPC adjustable upper control arms (replacing stock ones with Moog offset bushings)
-Ridetech/Fox single adjustable front shocks (replacing Hotchkis non adjustable)
-Bergmans lower control arm shaft + delrin bushing (replacing PST polygraphite)
-Bergmans tie rods (replacing QA1)
-Bergmans pitman arm and idler arm (replacing stock)
-An oil cooler, hose, pump bracket and pulley also arrived
For the lower control arms I cut the bump stops down as this needed to be done last time and when installing the pitman arm I noticed that Peter Bergmans one has bearings which I thought was pretty cool.
With this done I installed the k member and control arms.
It is good to see something other than destroyed parts or nothing underneath the front of the car, it is slowly coming back to life.
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Very nice to see you’re getting this back up and running. Best of luck and wishes your way.
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